Book cover



Jan. 11, 1938. 2,105,041

M. T. KAFKA BOOK COVER Filed June 19, 1937 FIGZ I? A? /2 /3 /9 /7 FIGS 42 U I a I \z I E v /0 I 1 l 1.

FIG. 6

INVENTOR MELVIN T. KAFKA BY V a f Patented Jan. 11, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE I 4 Claims.

My invention relates to book covers and more particularly to the printed paper jackets ordinarily supplied with the permanent bindings by the publisher.

This type of temporary cover, usually decorative and containing advertising material, is essentially a form of protection during the books progress from the publisher to the ultimate purchaser by whom it is normally discarded.

I am concerned with the preservation of these jackets in more or less permanent form, in conjunction with their use on books issued by rental libraries, to individuals, on a fee basis.

It has been found that books, upon which there are still preserved these printed paper jackets, are more attractive to individuals who subscribed to the rental service, over the unjacketed books.

Accordingly, it is my primary object, to provide means for preserving these temporary book jackets, into substantially permanent form.

In order that these jackets maybe preserved in their original form and their highly decorated surfaces kept free of scratches, without loss of visibility, I have provided them with a cover of Cellophane. The top and bottom edges of the combined jacket and Cellophane cover are reinforced by resilient strips of material, preferably adhesively applied.

A further object of my invention therefore, is to provide reinforcing strips of material, which encase the top and bottom edges of the combined jacket and Cellophane cover where they are subject to the greatest amount of wear and tear.

I have also found that ordinary Cellophane and reinforcing strips are not satisfactory due to varying physical characteristics, such as the contraction and expansion of the component parts at a different rate than the paper jacket.

As a result, a still further object of my invention is to provide the component parts of the combined cover with the same physical properties to prevent bulging and warping.

I am aware that paper jackets and Cellophane sheets. have individually been reinforced with metal foil edges for various purposes in the prior art. However, the individual jackets have not beenpreserved or their surfaces protected. Thus, there was no necessity of providing the jacket 50 with a Cellophane cover in a unitary construction which creates special problems all of which I have solved as will be apparent from a consideration of the following description and accompanying drawing in which:

55 Figure 1 is a top view of my combined jacket and Cellophane cover attached to an opened book,

Figure 2 is a front view of the same,

Figure 3 is a partially sectioned outside view,

Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view of the com- 5 bined jacket and Cellophane cover,

Figure 5 is a plan view of the same,

Figure 6 is an expanded side view showing the pocket formed therein, and

Figure 7 is a cross-sectional view of the com- 10 bined jacket and Cellophane cover attached to a book with an end dust protector extension.

In the drawing, reference numeral l0, designates the decorated printed jacket, normally found on most books, when issued by the pub- 15 lishers. A sheet of Cellophane ll, possessing certain characteristics and having the same dimensions as the jacket is superimposed thereon.

A protective strip of tape l2, preferably made of paper having a certain amount of resiliency, is 20 adhesively applied to each of the longitudinal edges, l3, encasing both the jacket and Cellophane and forming a unitary construction of the three elements.

The two transverse edges Id, of the combined .25 jacket and Cellophane, hereinafter designated as the wrapper l5, are preferably not enclosed with the tape, permitting advertising material to be inserted between the jacket and Cellophane, for identification of the individual rental 30 libraries.

The wrapper I5 is then placed upon the open book IS, the two transverse edges [4 folded over the open covers I! and additional strips iii are adhesively applied to the ends l4 and the inside 35 sections of the covers I! thereby attaching the wrappers l5 to the covers IT, in which position they remain during the rental service. As an additional bond, the strips l8 may be provided with overhanging portions l9 which are at- 40 tached to the front of the covers IT, as shown in Figures 1 and 3.

I have found over a considerable period of observation, that Cellophane and tape, which absorb moisture at substantially the same rate as 45 paper used in the jackets, will expand and contract with the jacket under varying atmospheric conditions, and will not form unsightly bulges which soon disintegrate into torn wrappers.

A tape having a width of approximately half an inch will enclose the edges satisfactorily, preventing dislocation of the jacket and Cellophane. The tape used in attaching the wrappers to the book covers may be made of Cellophane with a special adhesive adapted to be removed without leaving a trace of the adhesive on the front of the book covers.

In Figure 6. the jacket I and the Cellophane l l are expanded so as to enable advertising matter of the individual rental libraries to be inserted into the wrappers before assembly on the book covers.

In Figure 7, I have shown a modified form of wrapper in which an extension 20 is provided, made of Cellophane and forming a part of the original sheet used in the formation of the wrap per. An additional strip of tape 2| is added to reinforce the end 22, which is inserted between the cover I! and the leaves 23. This extension may be used to keep the dust from settling on the top of the leaves, where it is difiicult to remove, or as a bookmark.

From the foregoing, it is apparent that I have devised a wrapper, adapted to be utilized in conjunction with the printed jacket normally found on books. I have by my construction given this jacket a permanency hitherto unobtainable. I have reinforced the edges at the points of wear and tear and simultaneously formed into a unitary construction, the jacket and a Cellophane cover for protecting the same without loss of visibility. Pockets are provided for the insertion of advertising material for indentification of the individual libraries, and in my preferred construction the completed wrapper assembled to the book itself as a further convenience to the reader, and to prevent accidental loss of the wrapper. A combined book-mark and dust protector is optionally provided for further convenience.

I have thus described my invention, but I desire it understood that it is not confined to the particular form shown and described, the same being merely illustrative, and that the invention may be carried out in other ways without departing from the spirit of my invention, and therefore, I claim broadly the right to employ all equivalent instrumentalities coming within the scope of the appended claims, and by means of which objects of my invention are attained and new results ac complished.

What I claim is as follows:

1. In combination; a, printed paper book jacket; a Cellophane sheet of substantially the same dimensions superimposed thereon; and strips of resilient tape permanently encasing two opposite edges of said jacket and Cellophane sheet, said jacket, Cellophane sheet and tape adapted to expand and contract under varying atmospheric conditions at substantially the same rate to avoid bulging and buckling.

2. In combination; a printed paper book jacket; a Cellophane sheet of substantially the same dimensions superimposed thereon; and strips of resilient tape permanently encasing two opposite edges of said jacket and Cellophane sheet, leaving a plurality of pockets at the remaining unencased edges for the insertion of advertising material to be viewed through said Cellophane sheet, said jacket, Cellophane sheet, and tape adapted to expand and contract under varying atmospheric conditions at substantially the same rate to avoid bulging and buckling.

3. A wrapper for use on a book having a set of covers comprising in combination; a printed paper jacket; 2. Cellophane sheet of substantially the same dimensions as said jacket superimposed thereon, the top and bottom edges of said jacket and Cellophane sheet encased in strips of resilient tape; and a plurality of securing means each attached to the unencased edges of the Cellophane sheet for securing said combined jacket and Cellophane sheet to the covers of the book.

4. A wrapper for a book, comprising; a printed paper jacket; a sheet of Cellophane superimposed thereon, having an extension for covering the top edge of the book in its closed position; and strips of resilient tape encasing two opposite edges of said jacket and Cellophane sheet, forming a unitary assembly, for reinforcing said edges and for holding the jacket to said Cellophane sheet.

i MELVIN T. KAFKA. 

